Canons of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama
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CANONS OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF ALABAMA “The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful people, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.” –Article XIX from the Articles of Religion CANON 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS Section 1. Authority The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama, with each of its Parishes and other organizations, recognizes and accedes to the authority of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church and to the Constitution and Canons thereof as the same may be amended, which Constitution and Canons contain many provisions that are applicable to this Diocese and its Parishes, and which are adopted by reference. These Canons, adopted under and in accordance with the Charter of The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama, shall, with such Charter, govern, control and apply to this Diocese and its Parishes and other organizations. Section 2. Definitions. As used herein: “Bishop” shall refer to the regularly elected and consecrated Bishop who is the Ordinary of the Diocese. “Bishops” shall refer to the Bishop, Bishop Coadjutor, Suffragan Bishop, and Assistant Bishop, as may, at the time, be actively engaged in the work of this Diocese, unless the context clearly requires another meaning. “Canons” shall refer to the Canons of the Diocese. “Charter” shall refer to the Charter of the Diocese. “Convention” shall refer to the annual Diocesan Convention of The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama, unless the context clearly requires another meaning. “Diocese” shall refer, depending on the context, either to the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama or to the are of its territorial jurisdiction. “Electoral District” shall refer to the geographical areas of the Diocese as defined in the Canons. “General Canons” shall refer to the Canons of The Episcopal Church. “General Constitution” shall refer to the Constitution of The Episcopal Church. “Parish” shall refer to a congregation of the Diocese as provided in the Canons. “Trustees” shall refer to such members of the Department of Finance as are so designated on nomination by the Bishop and elected annually by the convention. Section 3. Headings and Quotations The headings of the Canons and Sections thereof are for convenience of reference, and the quotations at the beginning of some of the Canons are for inspiration, and neither the headings nor the quotations are part of the Canons. CANON 2. THE BISHOP “The work of the Bishop is to proclaim and interpret the Gospel of Christ; to be a chief priest and pastor of a diocese; to guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church; to celebrate and provide for the administration of the sacraments, and to that end to ordain priests and deacons and to join in the ordaining of bishops; and to share with his fellow bishops in the leadership of the Church throughout the world.” –From a Catechism Section 1. Episcopate The Bishop is the Chief Priest and Pastor, Ecclesiastical Authority, and principal executive officer of the Diocese. Section 2. Executive Authority Except where otherwise provided by the General Constitution, General Canons, Charter, Canons or action of the convention, the Bishop is authorized: (a) to establish and change departments, divisions, committees, commissions and other diocesan agencies; to define the duties thereof, and to make appointments thereto; (b) to fill vacancies in diocesan offices; (c) to act for and on behalf of the diocese or any Parish or other organization thereof in any matter affecting the same where no other procedure therefore is specifically provided; (d) as the Ordinary of all non-parochial organizations and institutions of the Diocese, to attend and preside at any of their meetings and to be the ultimate arbiter and judge of their proceedings. Section 3. Election The Bishop shall be elected by an annual or special Convention, provided that written notice of the proposed election be sent to each clergyman and Senior Warden in the Diocese at least one (1) month prior to the convening of the Convention. The election shall be conducted as follows: after nominations have been made in open convention, the clergy and laity, sitting separately in executive session and voting concurrently, shall, by a majority vote of those present and voting in each order, choose a qualified presbyter for the office. If either the office of Bishop Coadjutor or Suffragan Bishop, or both, be authorized, on request of the Bishop and approval of the Convention, these Bishops shall be elected by the same procedures as provided above. Charter, Canons, and Standing Resolutions–1 Section 4. Succession (a) If, in the event of a vacancy in the Office of the Bishop, there is no Bishop Coadjutor, then the Bishop Suffragan longest serving in this diocese as such (if there is more than one) shall become the temporary Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese, and in the absence of a Bishop Suffragan, the Standing Committee shall become such temporary Ecclesiastical Authority. Such authority shall serve only until such time as a new Bishop Diocesan shall have been elected and consecrated or otherwise duly authorized to fill such office. Any temporary Ecclesiastical Authority acting under this Paragraph (a) shall call a special Convention for the purpose of electing a Bishop Diocesan, to be held within six (6) months after the vacancy occurs in the Office of the Bishop, unless the office be filled earlier by action of the annual Convention. (b) In the event a temporary Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese is appointed under the provisions of the General Canons during the absence or disability of the Bishop Diocesan, or for any other reason allowed by the General Canon, then such Authority shall be granted to the Bishop Coadjutor or a Bishop Suffragan, or, should there be none, then to the Standing Committee. CANON 3. THE DIOCESAN CONVENTION Let us speak the truth in love; so shall we fully grow up into Christ. He is the head and on Him the whole body depends. –Ephesians 4:15-16a Section 1. Legislative Authority The Convention of this Diocese shall have legislative authority for the Diocese, and other authority as provided by the Charter and Canons. Section 2. Membership The membership of the Convention shall consist of the Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons canonically resident in the diocese and the lay delegates from the Parishes, and two (2) lay delegates duly elected by the Diocesan Department of Youth who meet the same eligibility requirements of those eligible for election to a Parish Vestry, each Bishop, Presbyter, Deacon, and lay delegate having one vote on each matter coming before the Convention. In addition, each duly recognized Diocesan Campus Ministry site may elect one (1) voting delegate, meeting the same requirements, to the Convention. The number of lay delegates of each Parish shall be based on the number of its confirmed communicants in good standing reported at the time of the previous annual Convention, as follows: fewer than 50 confirmed communicants in good standing, one; 50 to 99 confirmed communicants in good standing, two; 100 to 350 confirmed communicants in good standing, three; more than 350 confirmed communicants in good standing, one per 100 confirmed communicants in good standing or major fraction thereof, but not more than eight. Each Parish shall be entitled to one alternate delegate for each of its delegates. The delegates and alternate delegates shall be selected by each Parish annually in such manner as the voting members of the Parish may determine at a Parish meeting. Those eligible for selection shall be those confirmed communicants in good standing eligible for election to the Parish Vestry, provided that all of the members of the Convention under the legal age of majority shall not constitute a majority of the convention and shall not be entitled to vote on any matter legally requiring action by persons of a stated age, as to which matters the members of the Convention over the legal age of majority shall constitute the entire Convention. In addition, the voting membership of the Convention, as provided above, the members of the diocesan Council, the general offices of the Diocese, and the presiding office of each Diocesan Department and other agency, as designated by the Bishop, shall have seat and voice in the Convention, but shall not be entitled to vote unless otherwise so entitled. The provisions of this Section are subject to the provisions of Sections 8 and 10 of this Canon. A Worshiping Community shall be entitled to one lay delegate and one alternate lay delegate to be chosen at the discretion of the Worshiping Community. “Worshiping Community” shall refer to a congregation which has not been admitted to the Diocese as a Parish but which has been designated annually at the discretion of the Bishop as a Worshiping Community. Section 3. Meetings There shall be an annual meeting of the Convention in each year at the time and place set by the annual Convention held no earlier than three years before the meeting in question. The Ecclesiastical Authority, with the consent of the diocesan Council, may change the time or place, or both, of such scheduled meeting by giving written notice of such change to all clergy and to the Senior Wardens of all Parishes entitled to representation therein at least one (1) month prior to such meeting. The Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese, with the consent of the Standing Committee, may call a special meeting of the Convention at whatever time and place the Ecclesiastical Authority may deem necessary, provided that written notice of such special meeting, with a brief statement of the purpose of purposes thereof, shall be given to all clergy and to the Senior Wardens of all Parishes entitled to representation therein at least one (1) month prior to such meeting.